Page 30 of Witch Queen

Mae curled her hands into fists. “Then, that’s even more grounds to go find out what’s keeping her. Whatever it is might have to do with Barquiel’s disappearance.”

Cortes ran a hand through his hair in the fraught silence that followed. “It’s not like I don’t know what you’re getting at, Mae.” His voice churned with frustration. “But I only just found out I can use that teleportation spell. There’s no way I can master it in a couple of days.” The Colombian’s tone hardened. “Besides, you’re forgetting something crucial. I’ve never been to Hell. How am I supposed to get us there in the first place?”

Mae chewed her lip. That was the part of her plan she didn’t quite have an answer for yet.

“Brimstone is from there,” Miles said.

Everyone stared at the sorcerer.

He shrugged as he tickled his boa constrictor under the chin. “If Mae uses her power to channel his memories to Enrique’s core, they should be able to teleport there.”

Millie’s eyes shrank to happy slits.

Mae’s heart lurched.Oh.I didn’t think of that.

It could work,Na Ri mused.And I have my own memories too.

“You’re not helping, Miles,” Bryony groaned.

“He’s right.” Violet furrowed her brow. “Mae needs Hellreaver if she’s going to face Vedran and Barquiel head on. And meeting Azazel sounds like the right thing to do.”

Bryony’s face tightened. “Didshetell you that?”

Mae knew the High Priestess was referring to the Seer in Chicago.

“No,” Violet replied in clipped tones. “But she didn’t ask me to stop her either.”

Bryony’s shoulders slumped. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe I’m actually thinking of agreeing to this harebrained plan.”

Hope fluttered through Mae.

The New York coven High Priestess sighed and met her expectant gaze. “Do you remember the prophecy I told you about? All of it will be pointless if you die in Hell.”

Mae hesitated. “The dark magic part of it came true, so I think the rest is still valid.”

Tension thickened the air when an inky sphere covered with sizzling, black static bloomed above her palm.

Her scalp prickled. It scared her how quickly she’d grasped how to manipulate this new part of her powers.It’s almost like we were born to wield it.

We were, Na Ri reminded her quietly.

Mae retracted her new magic.

Bryony stared at the fading wisps, her face pale. “How exactly did you manage to harness black magic?”

It was Vlad who replied.

“I believe the trigger was the barrier she absorbed when we went to Budapest,” the incubus explained moodily. “The one that was shielding the Dark Council’s original headquarters. Vedran erected it.”

Roman swallowed. “So, she—atehis magic and can now use it?!”

Everyone gave Mae a worried look.

She grimaced. “Eating it sounds gross.”

Bryony indicated Cortes. “You still have to convince him.”

The sorcerer was frowning heavily at Mae.

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